A review by evavroslin
Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors by Michael Bailey, Doug Murano
5.0
I had been looking forward to reading this anthology for a long time. And while "Gutted" is still the best Doug Murano anthology I've read, or rather, my favourite that I've read to do, "Miscreations" comes in at a close second. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the work of the editors, Doug Murano and Michael Bailey, in seeing this project to fruition. They worked tirelessly and overcame many obstacles to make this happen so that readers could have this in their hands and to be affected by wonderful stories within. They worked with a phenomenal illustrator and made this a visually appealing work as well.
Starting things off is one of my favourite authors, Michael Wehunt. "A Heart Arrhythmia Creeping into a Dark Room" is one the ones I was most looking forward to reading because his work is so stunningly epic, so I was delighted to see his was the opening story. As with another recent short story he wrote for another anthology, he breaks the fourth wall, telling the reader that he is writing a story for the very anthology you're reading right now. He discusses the record he's listening to, the Appalachian region of the United States, his dog, and then it stretches into meditations on the heart (as an organ). He talks about anxiety, medical care, the fear of one's demise, the fear of what might be. He dwells on why we create monsters. Some readers might wonder if this is more of a blog post or a essay rather than a fictional short story--perhaps a better term is meta-fiction. Whatever it is, Wehunt cleverly discusses the ways stories that start like his might go, and how different writers have depicted monsters. It combines fantastical elements that might creep into the author's reality. It's not normally the kind of story I enjoy, but Wehunt is a master and as the old saying goes, I would buy a cereal box if he wrote on it (or something to that effect).
"Matryoshka" by Joanna Parypinski starts off reminding me of the Russian doll within other dolls I used to play with as a girl (which I often had to beg to do because they were considered an important decoration). The cultural nuances of parents instilling their values and being disappointing when their child doesn't embody them to a tee is something that also runs deep within myself. During a difficult time in the protagonist's life, her mother tells her to plant her seed (which will make more sense in the context of the story). I can't reveal more without spoiling the story, but I will say a decision that the protagonist makes in a fit of anger has huge repercussions and causes the reader to question what's real and what the protagonist is imagining. What is flesh and what is ghost. It's a tale of dark creation.
The next standout for me was "One Day of Inside/Out" by Linda D. Addison. It's a searing commentary on how people get more obsessed with capturing the spectacle when something horrible or unthinkable happens rather than trying to help or to feel empathy for what the victim is going through.
"One Last Transformation" by Josh Malerman was a very self-reflexive werewolf story about a werewolf who mentions he has transformed several times but also has said no to transforming several times. He's an older werewolf who life seems to be catching up with. He is debating on if he should do it again at his age, and seems to be pushed and pulled in different directions.
The Vodyanoy by Christina Sng is a challenging poem. It will trigger some readers and definitely packs a punch.
"Imperfect Clay" by Lisa Morton starts off "What I've discovered: we're all born broken."
She's writing from the point of view of a young Latinx woman who identifies herself as a magician but not the kind you think, i.e. she has real powers, not just card tricks and doves in hats. She doesn't like her apprenticeship master. Contrary to popular thinking, the magicians in this world erase the magic they perform so that people won't remember (so they're not trying to draw attention to it in most cases). Not to mention that people have a habit of doing horrible things to them if they do find out they're magicians. Her project is to make a man. She wants to be a healer. She knows that other students have tried and failed. Anything beyond that would spoil the story, but I will say things come together very memorably and it was one of the pieces I enjoyed most in the anthology.
"Spectral Evidence" by Victor LaValle
Our protagonist is a psychic (even though the word doesn't appear in their storefront window). It turns out to be a meditation on grief that unfurls in an interesting way, becomes a ghost story but much more than that. In my experience, it was the most powerful story in the anthology.
"Only Bruises Are Permanent" by Scott Edelman started off memorably with a bang. I can't really say more about this story without giving away the plot completely, so what I will say is that it was one of the more impactful tales of the bunch, and I think it played with the reader's expectations well.
"My Knowing Glance" by Lucy A. Snyder, was a tie for me for favourite story in this anthology.
It starts off with a memorable character who finds herself in a shall we say unique profession. One of the lines I loved: "They were both narcissists cut from the same rotten wood."
The story seems timely as ever with all the fears of coronavirus. But in the end, it turns out to be a wicked combination of action, fallen angels, and just a bunch of cool and amazing elements that I loved.
Another story that stood out for me was "Frankenstein's Daughter" by Theodora Goss. For those who enjoy the epistolary format, they will get a kick out of this story. It is framed as a kind of sequel to Frankenstein, and them some, feminizing the story. I thought it was an impactful way to end the anthology.
Overall, I cannot state enough how much of a quality anthology this is. I sincerely hope that in next year's genre fiction awards, it becomes a strong contender to win Best Anthology, because it really is a magnificent work.
Starting things off is one of my favourite authors, Michael Wehunt. "A Heart Arrhythmia Creeping into a Dark Room" is one the ones I was most looking forward to reading because his work is so stunningly epic, so I was delighted to see his was the opening story. As with another recent short story he wrote for another anthology, he breaks the fourth wall, telling the reader that he is writing a story for the very anthology you're reading right now. He discusses the record he's listening to, the Appalachian region of the United States, his dog, and then it stretches into meditations on the heart (as an organ). He talks about anxiety, medical care, the fear of one's demise, the fear of what might be. He dwells on why we create monsters. Some readers might wonder if this is more of a blog post or a essay rather than a fictional short story--perhaps a better term is meta-fiction. Whatever it is, Wehunt cleverly discusses the ways stories that start like his might go, and how different writers have depicted monsters. It combines fantastical elements that might creep into the author's reality. It's not normally the kind of story I enjoy, but Wehunt is a master and as the old saying goes, I would buy a cereal box if he wrote on it (or something to that effect).
"Matryoshka" by Joanna Parypinski starts off reminding me of the Russian doll within other dolls I used to play with as a girl (which I often had to beg to do because they were considered an important decoration). The cultural nuances of parents instilling their values and being disappointing when their child doesn't embody them to a tee is something that also runs deep within myself. During a difficult time in the protagonist's life, her mother tells her to plant her seed (which will make more sense in the context of the story). I can't reveal more without spoiling the story, but I will say a decision that the protagonist makes in a fit of anger has huge repercussions and causes the reader to question what's real and what the protagonist is imagining. What is flesh and what is ghost. It's a tale of dark creation.
The next standout for me was "One Day of Inside/Out" by Linda D. Addison. It's a searing commentary on how people get more obsessed with capturing the spectacle when something horrible or unthinkable happens rather than trying to help or to feel empathy for what the victim is going through.
"One Last Transformation" by Josh Malerman was a very self-reflexive werewolf story about a werewolf who mentions he has transformed several times but also has said no to transforming several times. He's an older werewolf who life seems to be catching up with. He is debating on if he should do it again at his age, and seems to be pushed and pulled in different directions.
The Vodyanoy by Christina Sng is a challenging poem. It will trigger some readers and definitely packs a punch.
"Imperfect Clay" by Lisa Morton starts off "What I've discovered: we're all born broken."
She's writing from the point of view of a young Latinx woman who identifies herself as a magician but not the kind you think, i.e. she has real powers, not just card tricks and doves in hats. She doesn't like her apprenticeship master. Contrary to popular thinking, the magicians in this world erase the magic they perform so that people won't remember (so they're not trying to draw attention to it in most cases). Not to mention that people have a habit of doing horrible things to them if they do find out they're magicians. Her project is to make a man. She wants to be a healer. She knows that other students have tried and failed. Anything beyond that would spoil the story, but I will say things come together very memorably and it was one of the pieces I enjoyed most in the anthology.
"Spectral Evidence" by Victor LaValle
Our protagonist is a psychic (even though the word doesn't appear in their storefront window). It turns out to be a meditation on grief that unfurls in an interesting way, becomes a ghost story but much more than that. In my experience, it was the most powerful story in the anthology.
"Only Bruises Are Permanent" by Scott Edelman started off memorably with a bang. I can't really say more about this story without giving away the plot completely, so what I will say is that it was one of the more impactful tales of the bunch, and I think it played with the reader's expectations well.
"My Knowing Glance" by Lucy A. Snyder, was a tie for me for favourite story in this anthology.
It starts off with a memorable character who finds herself in a shall we say unique profession. One of the lines I loved: "They were both narcissists cut from the same rotten wood."
The story seems timely as ever with all the fears of coronavirus. But in the end, it turns out to be a wicked combination of action, fallen angels, and just a bunch of cool and amazing elements that I loved.
Another story that stood out for me was "Frankenstein's Daughter" by Theodora Goss. For those who enjoy the epistolary format, they will get a kick out of this story. It is framed as a kind of sequel to Frankenstein, and them some, feminizing the story. I thought it was an impactful way to end the anthology.
Overall, I cannot state enough how much of a quality anthology this is. I sincerely hope that in next year's genre fiction awards, it becomes a strong contender to win Best Anthology, because it really is a magnificent work.